🇬🇧Spouse and Partner visas - 5 or 10-year route? The difference.

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5-year route is a standard one. You can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. The 1st visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) if you apply inside the UK, such as when switching from a Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility or a work visa. Or for 33 months (2.5 years + 3 months) if you apply outside the UK. Then extension for further 2.5 years, then settlement after 5 years. 

10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. For example, a serious illness or similar family circumstances are preventing you or your partner from meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600. Here the 1st visa is again for 30 months (2.5 years), but you need further 3 extensions until you can settle in the UK after 10 years. There may be better solutions, however, such as switching from the 10 to 5-year route or settling after 10 years on any visas.

Can you combine them when counting to settlement? In the 5-year route, No, you cannot mix and match a visa given in the 10-year route with one in the 5-year route. You need 5 consecutive years in the standard route. However, in the 10-year route, you can combine them. For example, you were given a leave in the 5-year standard route. After 2.5 years couldn't meet the Financial Requirement due to family circumstances and were given a visa in the 10-year route. You can combine them but need a total of 10 years on the Spouse/Partner visas (or 10 years of legal residence on any visas). Also, you cannot combine time spent on a Spouse/Partner visa with other visa types, such as Student or Work. If you happened to be switching from Student to Spouse, or from Work to Spouse, you’d have to start ‘your’ 5 years again to qualify for settlement. Again, the exception is 10 years of residence on any visas. 

Can you switch from one to another? Yes, there is a benefit of switching from 10 to 5-year route. It means getting settlement after 5 years (from switching) instead of 10 years.




1st 4Immigration is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC - accredited at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year accreditation. Office: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HN. 

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